


New Family; Old Family

by DanishPastriesandmore



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Child Abuse, Fostering AU, Gen, M/M, Mental Illness, Mentions of past abuse, SuFin, sweden and finland are good parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-25 12:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7533013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanishPastriesandmore/pseuds/DanishPastriesandmore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter is moving in with his new foster parents, Berwald and Tino. He isn't too happy about it, as he'd rather wait for his brother, who has disappeared. Again. Human AU. Sealand centric. </p><p>Multi-chaptered, cross-posted from Fanfiction.net, but edited and improved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Peter watched the trees pass the windows, with a bored expression on his face.

Susan, the care worker, nudged him with her hand.

"Peter, cheer up a little, please." she said and smiled. "Aren't you excited? This is the chance for a new start."

"I don't want to live with them." The twelve year old boy replied, scowling out of the window.

"Peter, Tino and Berwald will take good care of you"

"I'm sure they will, don't mean I wanna live with them."

Susan sighed. "You never have explained why. Is it because they're homosexual, Peter-"

"I said I was fine with it, I know a boy with gay uncles. I don't want to live with them though."

Susan shook her head. "Peter, you'll be fine."

"I want my brother."

"He's un-contactable, Peter. He's officially listed as missing"

"Then look for him!" Peter snapped. "Wait for him, and then look for him, find him and let him raise me rather than these Scandinavian weirdo strangers. He always comes back in the end." _Why did they always offer excuses that foster care was best? Why not wait for Arthur?_

Susan sighed. "You'll be fine, Peter. This couple was chosen because they're a good, loving match for you."

Peter trailed his finger into the window dew instead of replying, continuing his glare, but deciding not to respond. They pulled up to nice, respectable houses in the London suburbs. The living rooms of some of the houses looked only _slightly_ smaller than his previous flat.

They stopped by a semi-detached two story house, smaller than some houses on the street but clearly modern, expensive and well kept. Peter did feel a little in awe of his new house, but shook his head and imagined his brother.

_Arthur, Arthur, Arthur._

He maintained that stance, but was shaken out of his daze by a hand pulling his arm out of the car. He grumbled, and grabbed his suitcase from the boot, refusing to let Susan do it for him, and approached the door.

Susan rang the doorbell. The door was immediately opened by an excited, clearly older-than-he-looked-man who was wearing an apron and holding a ladel.

"Peter! Come in!" he said in his accented voice, and waved the ladle at Peter. Peter stared at Susan, who nodded encouragingly, and Peter begrudgingly walked in. He sat himself on the sofa in the living room with out being told to. It was a lovely living room, with plush cushions and soft furnishings in a simple, minimalist feel. His previous house had been both cluttered and badly furnished.

"Hello, I'm Tino, Tino Väinämöinen" he said. Peter nodded, he knew their names (but conceded he wasn't ever going to bother learning how to pronounce their last names.) "Berwald just went out for petrol- oh here he is now!"

A few seconds later, Berwald appeared and introduced himself to Peter. Peter nodded, and then zoned out of Susan's and Berwald and Tino's resulting conversation.

He zoned back in. Susan was tapping him on the shoulder. "I'll check up on you in a bit, okay Peter?" Susan asked, sweetly.

Peter always found her a bit patronising.

"Whatever" he shrugged. Susan nodded, and walked to the door, and eventually left.

The awkward silence did not last long.

"I'm cooking dinner right now, Peter. I hope you like lasagna!" Tino said.

"I guess. Can I see my bedroom?" he asked, bluntly.

Berwald nodded, and took Peter upstairs. He was shown his room. It was painted blue, and was rather plain, but Peter noted it was double the size of his previous room that he shared with his brother.

"Cool" he said nonchalantly, and sat down on the bed.

"I hope everything's okay." Berwald mumbled to Peter, and Peter shrugged.

He didn't know what to say.

He didn't know how to act.

He wasn't sure what he was supposed to _do_ now.

Berwald looked at Peter. "Dinner will be ready soon, I'll call you." He said. Peter nodded, and he was left alone, and so he unpacked his meager belongings and his prized possession; a photo of him and Arthur. It was one of the few photos they had together, taken on Arthur's friend's camera and given as a present from Arthur. They were smiling, and Peter stared at it longingly.

The room was nice, and the house was nice, and he could tell that Berwald and Tino were not evil people, but it wasn't his brother.

He heard the calling for dinner, and so he trudged downstairs to the dining room. It was spacious and modern, like the living room, and Peter felt a little sick.

This wasn't right in _any way_.

A bowl of _homemade_ lasagna was placed in front of him, and he began to eat it without saying a word.

"Its nothing personal, Berwald, Tino, but I'm not going to stay here long." He said as he finished the meal.

The couple looked a bit surprised and slightly bemused. "Why is that, Peter?"

"My brother is coming to get me soon."

An awkward silence followed. Tino sighed. "We've heard things about your brother, Arthur, wasn't it?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah. People are making out like he was a bad brother because he disappeared a lot, which is why he was a jerk, but he _always_ came back, which is why he was only _slightly_ a jerk. He _always_ took care of me when mum and dad didn't, and I don't need you to."

Berwald and Tino exchanged glances. "Well, we'll take care of you for the time being then." Tino smiled a little as he said that, and Peter hated the look of pity on his face.

Peter didn't want any pity.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cross-posted from fanfiction.net, but edited slightly.
> 
> I'll upload each chapter once they've been edited.
> 
> I found researching the foster care process difficult, but it often depends on the situation anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

"So what do you do in your spare time, Peter?"

Peter shrugged. "Drama club. I play football with my friend sometimes." He replied. He didn't like Tino's constant prying into his personal life, and he felt obliged to answer just to get him off his back.

"Wow, brilliant. Berwald used to play in youth leagues in Sweden, didn't you, Berwald?"

"Mmmm" was the only reply. It appeared that the couple had taken the week off work, and had taken Peter out of school for the week to get to know Peter better, and they were currently interrogating him at the kitchen table.

"Arthur was good at football." Peter said. "We'll play when he comes back."

Tino paused, then nodded. "Well, it's such a nice autumn day, let's go out!" he said. What do you want to do?" he asked to Peter.

Peter just stared at him. "I dunno."

"Bowling?" Berwald offered.

"I said it was a _nice_ day, not a rainy day." Tino chided. "Shall we go for a walk?"

"No" Peter moaned.

They ended up going bowling. Peter didn't engage much in chatting to Tino and Berwald at the bowling alley, but was happy that he beat Tino at bowling.

When they came back to the house, Tino put his hand on his shoulder. "Hey Peter, I know this situation isn't what you wanted, but we want you to know that you can talk to us about _anything_ anytime of the day."

Peter felt a little spark of anger. " _Why?_ You're not my parents, stop pretending that you are! I survived fine without any anyway, stop trying to but into my life!" he shouted, then ran upstairs and hid in his room. He didn't eat dinner that night, and the morning after was awkward, but Peter did mumble a 'sorry'.

Peter didn't engage much with the pair, but he did observe them.

Berwald didn't speak much, was calm and not very excitable, and could be scary looking. Tino spoke too much, was enthusiastic and jolly, and had the sweetest face in the world.

Opposites attract and cancel eachother out, Peter deduced.

Peter _knew_ they were nice enough people, he gathered that. Tino seemed genuinely interested with his day, and Berwald always seemed to listen and seemed protective of Peter when they went out.

Which was more than his parents ever did.

Sometimes Peter felt bad for blanking them. He didn't _want_ to be rude, but it was hard being attached to them when he knew his brother was going to get him soon. Then it could just be to the two of them, as it always should've been.

Peter was patient. He could wait.

He'd already waited months.

After the week ended, he returned to school. He realised that it was _Berwald_ that had taken reduced hours and to work from home to be there when Peter returned from school.

Peter realised he shouldn't stereotype, but Tino seemed more feminine, more motherly, shouldn't _he_ be the one who stays with him?

Whatever, gender roles are bad, bla bla bla

School was a bore, and the teachers always tip-toed around him acted super nice with false smiles, and the children would gossip.

'Did you hear about Peter, he's now got _foster parents._ '

'Ooooh, so he's been taken from his parents permanently.'

He was happy when he saw Raivis at school. Raivis was his friend, who had an non-ordinary family life as well, and lived with his brothers, who were probably half-brothers or step brothers (Peter got confused), and lived in Britain when their heritage was from all over the Baltic region. Peter knew that he understood and didn't judge Peter's own home life when his was a bit strange. They didn't fit into the nuclear or single parent family that dominated everyone he knew.

"But they're nice, though?" Raivis asked in concern regarding Peter's complaints over Tino and Berwald during the school lunchtime.

"Nicer than my parents. But so is everyone." He said, and trailed his fingers in the dust on the grass near the library.

"So it can't be bad then."

Peter glared at Raivis _. Of all the times Raivis chose not to understand him, he chose this one?_ "It _is_ bad. It's not my brother."

Raivis looked at Peter, and fidgeted nervously, as if he knew that he was treading sensitive ground. "Your brother was cool, but I'm not sure, Peter…"

"You've met him loads, he's fine!" Peter glared at Raivis, who recoiled.

Raivis didn't seem convinced. "Well…"

"Well what!?" he snapped. Peter could feel his blood boiling. _Everyone_ doubted Arthur, but Peter knew the truth. Arthur had been the only one there for him.

"He was nice to you Peter, but you didn't see him for weeks at a time!" Raivis retorted. "I know that's not good, Toris and Eduard are always there for me."

Peter glared at Raivis, and he could feel the anger well up inside of him. "Shut up Raivis, shut up, shut up, shut up!" he said, and shoved Raivis to the ground,

Raivis looked stunned, then tears formed in his eyes.

He was always a cry baby.

A teacher pulled him away and to the head-teachers office, where _Berwald_ were called. He was soon being driven home.

"Violence is never the answer." Berwald broke the tense silence as they travelled in the car. Peter was leaning his head against the window, not meeting Berwald's gaze.

"I wasn't even violent, it was _only_ a shove, he deserved it."

"No he didn't"

"He's a cry-baby."

" _Peter_ " Berwald said, sternly, and Peter shut up. Peter started his thinking of his brother.

_"Arthur, you jerk, where have you been!? Stop leaving me alone with them!" Peter angrily shouted at Arthur._

_"Sorry, I had to go. I quit my job." Arthur said, looking at Peter. "You have a bruise on your face, I'm sorry."_

_Peter hugged the nineteen year old anyway. "It doesn't matter, it was only a slap this time. Why did you quit your job?"_

_"Oh, it they're horrible. They didn't treat me right, and they talk about me behind my back. All. The. Time." Arthur replied, and grinned at Peter._

_"But where did you go this time?" he asked._

_"I went to Brighton. Really happy place, Peter. It has the sea. You like sailing and the sea and that stupid sea fort, right? We'll live in Brighton one day. It has a beach, I promise. Just as soon as I get the_ people _off my back." He said._

_Peter nodded, but he didn't know what Arthur was on about._

_As usual._

Tears pricked Peter's eyes.

_Where was Arthur? Why wasn't he here?_

A wave of resentment welled up, and all of a sudden he burst into tears.

_He's not going to come._

Berwald pulled the car over, then opened the car door and hugged Peter. Peter stiffened, but eventually relaxed into the large, silent man and continued with the tears.

Berwald didn't say anything, and Peter was thankful.

It was better that some things weren't said.

* * *

 

It was silent as it normally was at dinner the following

"So, er, how are you?" Peter asked tentatively, twitching his hands in tension as they finished their meals.

Tino beamed, seemingly happy that Peter was first making the conversation for a change. "Well, Peter, I'm fine."

"Mmm" Berwald replied.

"Are you?" Tino asked, gently.

"I guess." Peter shrugged. "So… why are you in the UK?"

"For our respective jobs _._ Then I met Berwald at a Nordic society meetup, and well, we had chemistry and never left."

Peter nodded, feeling awkward. This was forced, but Peter conceded that he had to make a start. In that drive home, he realised he was going to have to just accept his situation, and that he probably wasn't going to go anywhere soon.

And that he needed to give Berwald and Tino a break.


	3. Chapter 3

After making up with Raivis, (who only acknowledged his presence after Peter gave him free chocolate bars), Peter managed to become more agreeable to Tino and Berwlad. He alaways politely asked them about their day, and they always responded. He realised he _should_ be polite to them, since they paying for his needs even if they got an allowance. They were buying him clothes when his didn't fit anymore, they were treating him to pizza when he did well at school, and tutoring him when he wasn't.

They were treating him like a son, only he didn't think of them as family.

He didn't know what to make of them. Too parent-ly to be friends, but not close enough to consider family. Just guardians. And Peter liked them, but although he _knew_ that Arthur might not come back, he still continued to relish in the fantasies of Arthur coming to rescue him and live together, perhaps in Brighton by the sea, where they would learn how to sail and would hang out on the beach together.

Wishful thinking.

The summer holidays rolled around, and this is what he was dreading. Gone were the days of using school as an excuse to be alone. They didn't give out six weeks of holiday homework as an excuse, no school was _that_ cruel (Well, Peter hoped.)

And so, the awkwardness began.

Peter spent some time with Raivis before he went away to the Baltic states with his brothers to visit family members. He had begged his friend not to go, but Raivis had patted him on the back sadly and told him to just text him.

It was boring. Tino and Berwald tried to keep Peter entertained as much as they could, and bought him some computer games, but the summer was going to go _slow_.

And so, in a week of an unbearable heat, Tino proposed an outing to the beach.

Peter couldn't help but be a little excited. He'd never seen the sea. His fascination with boats had only been piqued during the library sessions, where he had found himself reading about the sea to avoid going home. He loved it. He'd dreamed of one day becoming an explorer, to go on large seas and see new places on a boat. Arthur had scoffed at first, and it had hurt his feelings a little, but Arthur apologised and had asked to be his first mate. Looking back on it, Peter got now that Arthur was just humouring him, but they made epic plans, and Peter enjoyed it. That was when he was younger, before Arthur started to act  _weird_ and disappear all the time.

So after a long train ride, Tino, Berwald and Peter found themselves at Clacton on sea.

The sea was every bit as, well, _huge_ as Peter had imagined.

And colder.

But the summer heat at least warmed him up.

The trio 'relaxed' on the beach. (Peter would later deny he played like he was a six year old, and did _not_ attempt to make a sandcastle fort where he battled an evil Tino and his more passive assistant Berwald. He was a proud 11 year old who was mature, of course.)

They then went to get ice creams, and Peter realised something.

He was _happy_.

He was still internally fretting over Arthur, and still unsure of his relationship with Tino and Berwlad, but he felt happy. Tino and Berwald cared for him, and tried to make sure he wasn't unhappy or unsafe or in any danger of being hurt, and unlike when Arthur took care of him when his parents were home, _it was easy to be happy. He was safe._

The realisation that it could be _easy_ to be happy and safe and loved left Peter with a big grin on his face.

On the train back home, Tino looked up at the smiling face of Peter.

"Should we come back again?" Tino asked.

Peter snapped out of his stupor. "Oh- yeah I guess. It doesn't have to be specifically here."

It wasn't the place that he enjoyed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, edits from fanfiction and


	4. Chapter 4

The summer had flew by, and Peter found himself enjoying the summer. Tino and Berwald had taken him to the coast again for a longer holiday, and he had been so  surprised. Beach play, restaurants, cinema outings, they'd even taken Peter sailing as he'd been so keen. They'd done the lot away. Tino and Berwald also enrolled him in a summer drama placement, as apparently having only Raivis as a close friend wasn't healthy', and with Tino and Berwald working they were worried he'd be alone for too long. He disagreed that it was unhealthy to only have Raivis, and Raivis remained his best friend, but it was nice to talk to other kids.

For the first time in Peter's life, he felt... normal. Sure, most children didn't live with foster parents, but Peter previously couldn't related when the school day and kids were  _excited_ to go home. If school had continued for another hour or two, he would've been happy with that. But now, like most kids, home was fun.

When school began on September 4th, Peter went deflated, but happier than he had been in a while. After experiencing the numbing work for a few days, he expected life to be pretty stable from now on. A stability that he hadn't had before. One day, after school, he say goodbye to Raivis, and began walking home.

However, he stopped In his tracks by a familiar face. His breath hitched, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"…Arthur?" he breathed, hesitantly.

"Peter." Arthur said, and grabbed Peter who then hugged him.

Peter soon found himself seated on a park bench, with Arthur.

He punched Arthur in the shoulder, who flinched a little. "You big jerk, where have you been!?" he shouted. His mind was amass with conflicting emotions; some were feelings of betrayal, some of confusion, but most of _happiness_ that Arthur was _safe_ and had come back to see him.

Arthur scratched his head. "Away. I've been near Manchester most of the time. I had to make myself safe, you see, and then it became harder to come back…." He trailed off.

Peter blinked. "Safe? From mum and dad?" he asked quizzically.

"Something like that. But I missed your birthday a few days ago, so I got you a present. Luckily, you still go to the same school, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to find where _they_ took you!" Arthur said, and handed Peter a shoddily wrapped present in tin foil.

Peter took it, still slightly unnerved by the surreal situation. He opened it, and revealed a sailor's hat. It was a rather nice present, and Peter put it on, and it fit. "Thanks Arthur!"

Arthur beamed. "I know you always wanted one. I'll take you to see the seaside one day, I promise, you've never seen it before."

"Erm- Arthur, I saw it during the summer. With Tino and Berwald."

Arthur seemed disheartened, which made Peter feel a little guilty. "Really? Who're they?"

"My foster carers." He said. "Arthur, please come and meet them! They'd love to meet you, I promise."

"No." Arthur then grabbed Peter by the shoulders. "Peter, listen to me. You can't trust them. You can't trust anyone apart from me. They're out to get you."

"Who, Arthur?"

"Tino and Berwald, they're with the authorities. The authorities don't like me, and they won't let me see you if I contact them. This is why I had to come and see you in secret." He said.

Peter shook his head. "Arthur, you're not making any sense."

Peter then looked at Arthur. Really looked at him. He was thinner than when he lived with mum and dad, and had bags under his eyes. His hair was long and looked like he had attempted to cut it himself, and had a poorly shaven face. He looked awful.

"Arthur, maybe you should go see a doctor…"

Arthur laughed. "Oh no, Peter, I don't. Trust me. I'll get this all figured out. I just need to get the authorities off my back, then we'll live together."

Peter felt his stomach flip. _Live together_. What he always wanted. He still wanted it, didn't he?

He felt the old emotions arise, and the previously forgotten fantasies of him and Arthur living together recurring in his mind, more tantalisingly real.

 _Arthur's really not well_ , his conscience nagged, _and you're happy and safe with Berwald and Tino._

He pushed these thoughts aside. "…Really?" he asked, cautiously.

"Promise. Just don't tell anyone I'm around. I need to sort things out."

"Well I suppose I can wait until I say anything. When you're sorted." Peter agreed, and Arthur hugged him.

"Peter, things are going to be fine soon."

* * *

 

Arthur came sporadically in the next two months.

They would meet on the way home from school. Arthur didn't appear to have a phone number (any queries Peter made were dismissed), so sometimes Peter missed him to meet Raivis. Peter would lie to Tino and Berwald, saying he was either at the school library, with Raivis, or just wandering in the park with a group of friends. Tino and Berwald never seemed to doubt him, as he was never away long enough to illicit worry. In the long run, it just made him feel guilty.

Sometimes Arthur would say he would meet the next day or whenever but never show up and would Peter would come home sour and would hope Tino and Berwald wouldn't notice.

However, most of their plans succeeded, and Peter always felt elated.

Arthur kicked the ball, and Peter successfully blocked it and aimed for Arthur's goal. He scored, and Arthur fell to the ground, dramatically.

"Ok, four-two win to you" he said, and continued to sit on the ground. Peter sat by Arthur.

"Arthur, are you okay?" he asked.

Arthur rolled his eyes and grunted. "You always ask me this. For gods sake Peter, leave me alone!" he snapped, and Peter flinched. "Sorry Peter, but you shouldn't worry about me. I'm fine, I'm twenty and an adult, and you're a child. Children shouldn't worry about adults."

Peter shrugged. He twirled the grass between his fingers. "Do you… want to talk about our parents?" he asked hopefully.

Arthur stiffened. "What do you want to talk about?" he said.

"Well, I went to a psychiatrist for a while, who used to make me talk about how they used to hit us." He said. "Maybe you should see one. It kinda helped I suppose. Talking about mum and dad" He offered.

Arthur quickly shook his head. "No, I can't go to a psychiatrist, they'll shove pills down my throat the first second they see me." He said.

Peter looked at Arthur worryingly, but decided not to pursue this further. Arthur always got upset at any idea of anyone intervening. Peter pulled out the grass tufts. "I-I didn't want anything to change before. I thought it was okay. You were there most of the time, and that was okay, I didn't need the state to intervene. Just you and me. But they did, and I realise it has changed for the better."

Arthur nodded. "I'm sorry I wasn't around enough, before and after you were taken. I let _them_ take you, and I should've been there for you."

Peter nodded. "Its okay, you jerk." It was nice, having this conversation. It was what Peter had wanted, he realised, since he was taken into care.

Arthur looked at Peter. "Tomorrow, I'll have a surprise. It's going to be great."

Peter beamed. "Really? Please don't be extravagant though." he said. He couldn't bare the thought of Arthur spending money on him when he clearly had little already.

"No, its not like that, its positive, I promise."

He returned home, a bit excited, and a bit wary and unsure. Berwald noticed that he seemed a bit preoccupied. "Anything wrong?" he asked, in his quiet mumble he had.

"No, nothing's wrong. Just tired from school."

Berwald nodded, and left Peter alone. Peter hated lying to them, especially after they had been so _nice_ to him, but Arthur said to wait, and that he'd sort it out. And he couldn't betray Arthur.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day came, and Peter looked around for Arthur, hopefully. Peter couldn't' deny he was a little excited. He hoped Arthur was telling the truth and it was actually good. Arthur was ten minutes late, which usually meant he was not going to show up. However, a car swerved near the pavement, and Arthur stepped out. 

Peter jumped back in surprise. "Arthur! You got a car!?" he exclaimed.

Arthur beamed. "Yep, borrowed if from a friend. Hop in, Peter, we're going for a surprise."

Peter shuffled his feet. "I can't be anymore than an hour, Tino and Berwlad will worry."

Arthur shrugged. "Trust me, Peter, please. This will be worth Tino and Berwald being a bit angry."

Peter pushed away the rational thoughts telling him to _refuse, go home and tell Tino and Berwald what has been happening_ , when he saw Arthur's hopeful and excited face. He nodded, and sat in the car. Arthur started the car and went away.

They listened to the radio, and hummed along to the recent crappy TOP 40. It was a blissful, euphoric 15 minutes.

However, Peter looked outside and felt something in his throat tighten.

"Arthur, this is a motorway." He said, panic setting in on his voice. A motorway meant they were going out of London. "Where are we going, I've got to get back."

Arthur snorted. "Don't ruin the surprise, Peter."

"ARTHUR, TAKE ME BACK!" he screamed.

Arthur looked at Peter, with panic in his eyes. "Wha- We're going to Brighton! Like I always said we would!"

"Arthur, that's too far, I have school tomorrow! Berwald and Tino will worry!" 

"We're going to live there, Peter! A friend has a flat there and says we can sleep on his sofa for a bit."

Peter recalled his previous fantasies. When faced with them in reality, they became a lot less desirable. "Arthur, you hardly have any money! This isn't going to work." He protested, trying to get Arthur to see sense. _Why wasn't it working, why wasn't Arthur listening to him!?_

Arthur gripped the steering wheel tightly. He looked at Peter, tears forming in his eyes. "Oh, I get it. You're with _them_! I can't trust _you_ anymore, either!"

Peter flinched. Arthur was clearly sick, and not just physically, and he didn't know how but he new that's what his psyciatrist had said he did, he made sure people were well inside their head. And Arthur was not well. He needed Arthur to turn him around. Arthur's driving was becoming more and more erratic, as if he was struggling to deal with the situation.

"Arthur, please calm down! You can trust me!" he said, but Arthur didn't respond, intent on reaching their destination, and seemed to speed up. Peter didn't want to get Arthur in trouble, but he realised he had no other choice and picked up his phone to call Tino and Berwald. Arthur saw him take out his phone and attempted to wrestle it out of him.

"Please, Peter! We're going to be together in a house like I said, happy!" Arthur said. As he was trying to reach the phone out of Peters grasp, the car swerved and went into the grassy verge on the side of the road.

With a short, sudden jolt, the car stopped with the air bags released, the front of the car crumpled.

Peter screamed, but then calmed down when he realised he was fine, as if the air bags had taken most of his impact. "Arthur, are you okay?" he asked in a panic.

Arthur was fine, but was crying. "Why do you hate me as well?" he sobbed, and he clutched his head in his hands, as if he was in turmoil.

Peter hugged Arthur. "I _love_ you, Arthur." He cried, and tried to comfort Arthur and bring him back to some sort of calm.

 _This was all his fault,_ Peter concluded.

He knew Arthur couldn't take care of him. He knew he had to see a  doctor from the first moment he saw him again, on that day after school.

He was selfish. He ignored Arthur's issues and entertained his own fantasies and the small pleasures of just hanging out with Arthur.

Like everything was normal, like it was before.

"Hey, Arthur, we're going to need to report this accident." He said after a few minutes.

"I'll go to prison, I don't have a licence." He said, panicking. "The authorities- they hate me, _they_ said so, I'll be locked up forever, I'll-"

"Arthur- who says this?" he asked the twenty year old.

Arthur grasped his head. "The voices- but no one else seems to hear them!" he shouted. "Why?" he asked softly, as if in defeat.

Peter hugged Arthur again. "Everything will be okay." Peter declared, as he reached for his phone.

* * *

"I'm _so_ sorry for lying to you!" Peter cried, leaning into Tino and Berwalds' touch at the police station. "I thought Arthur was sorting himself out and that I could tell you once he was okay." He continued sobbing, the whole reality of the day crashing down on him.

Tino hugged Peter. "Hey, Peter, don't worry. Look, everything's going to be okay."

"Arthurs in big trouble." Peter sniffed, as he wiped his nose. He couldn't bear the thought of his brother in prison, when he was a good person at heart, he didn't need to be punished behind bars.

"Look, the policeman said that the attempted kidnapping and driving without a licence charges will probably be dropped, or won't go to court, if he gets mental health treatment." Tino said. Peter sighed with relief. "He'll probably be banned from driving for a while, but still."

Peter sniffed. "Will I be able to see him?" he asked. He hoped that Tino and Berwald wouldn't try and keep them apart after what happened.

Tino and Berwald looked at eachother. "Yes, we had a quick chat with Arthur. We understand that Arthur means well, even if he can't express that well. We'll be accompanying you two for your encounters for a long while. However the social services who also have a say, and we'll just have to see about them."

Peter nodded, and Tino and Berwald walked him out of the station. In the car home, he crossed his fingers, hoping for good news. He would just have to see.


	6. Chapter 6

_Three months later._

"Merry Christmas, Peter." Tino said, and handed Peter the present. He opened it, excitedly, and revealed a playstation 3.

"Wow! Thanks, you two!" he beamed, and Tino smiled, and Berwald nodded. Peter handed them his gift, two Christmas mugs, which they thanked him for.

Arthur sat awkwardly across them, picking at the carpet they were sitting in a circle in.

"Hey, Arthur, we got you a gift." Tino and Berwald said.

"Err- what?" he said, surprised. They handed him a small parcel. It contained a watch, and a nice one at that, which Peter knew that Arthur hadn't had before.

"Oh- well this is unexpected-" he said, looking at it in awe.

"Try it on!" Tino encouraged, and Arthur placed it onto his wrist, and fastened it to a good fit.

"Thank you so much- but I didn't buy you anything, all I made was that cake-"

('that cake' was a chocolate log, which Peter had tried. It was undercooked, had a horrible, sticky spongey texture and it tasted not very much like chocolate. But it did have nice icing.)

"- and I can't really afford-"

Tino placed his hand on Arthur's shoulder to stop him babbling. "Its fine, Arthur." Arthur gave a large smile.

Arthur was doing better now. Peter knew he didn't understand fully, because a doctor once tried to explain but he got confused by the big words. Tino and Berwald eventually told him Arthur would get treatment for schizophrenia, which meant that sometimes Arthur would hear things that weren't real and he had different ideas of what reality was compared to other people. It was tough at first; he had seen Arthur when he was in the hospital getting treatment and Arthur had cried a lot at first, begging Peter that he wasn't crazy and eventually Tino and Berwald had taken Peter home because Arthur was being unreasonable and upsetting Peter. Peter cried on the way home, as he wanted to help Arthur, but he _didn't know how_ , and even though he believed Tino and Berwald reassurances that getting treatment was the best course of action, it didn't make him feel much better. Eventually, a few weeks later on the medication and therapy, Arthur seemed to recognise that he was ill and he needed help. 

When Arthur admitted the need for some intervention, Peter felt much happier, because he knew that meant that progress was possible.

Arthur was eventually released from hospitalised treatment, and was put in community-run supported housing and an employment scheme until he found stable work and housing. It was tough, and Arthur seemed to struggle with his diagnosis of schizophrenia outside of the hospital, and had days where he thought he could never move on or be successful in life. But overall he seemed happier than before; which Peter was glad of. He seemed more like the old Arthur; the grumpy and stubborn Arthur, the Arthur who would _always_  try to take care of him when his parents wouldn't, before he started behaving differently at seventeen. 

The best part was that Arthur and Peter could meet in the safety of Tino's and Berwald's home, which Peter enjoyed much more than the park and on the street outside school. Tino and Berwald seemed to like Arthur; and Arthur liked them, and he knew that because Arthur admitted to him how happy he was that Peter had found nice people to live with. He washed the dishes if he stayed for dinner, and Tino and Berwald were a source of comfort when he broke down in their house once. They even offered Arthur the spare room, but Arthur was adamant (and very stubborn) that he should try and find his own house.

"Hey Arthur, help me set up the console and play FIFA with me!" Peter begged.

"I don't really like video games" Arthur grumbled halfheartedly as he picked up the instructions to setting up the console.

All was well.

Arthur left that night, as he had to be back at the houses by eleven, and Peter was watching a Disney film, a little bit sleepy. Berwald tapped him on the shoulder.

"Peter, Tino and I have discussed a lot recently, and we was wondering if you might consider us adopting you." Berwald said, bluntly.

Peter was surprise by the rather sudden proclamation, and looked at Tino and Berwald, standing over his shoulder, beaming. "R-really?"

"Yes. This doesn't have to change our relationship from more to carers, but we'd love if it you were our legal son- forever" Tino said nervously. "We love you, Peter, and we want to make sure you understand you're part of a family."

Peter nodded, with tears in his eyes. "Yeah, I suppose." He said as he hugged the pair. They hugged him back.

A wave of apprehension overcame him. "Can I keep my surname though? I don't know, it feels like its part of me." He said. He was Peter Kirkland, and his brother was Arthur Kirkland, and they'd been through a lot together, and it felt funny to change it when he was still Peter Kirkland.

"Do whatever you want, Peter, it's your life." Berwald said, and Peter nodded.

 _It's your life._ People often said that to him, whether it be his old parents or his caseworkers, when offering him choices.  But for the first time, he felt like he had some actual control over the choices he was provided. He'd made mistakes when trying to choose, especially concerning Arthur, but he was learning.

Peter beamed at the two. "I love you two." And he gave them another, greater hug.

They wouldn't ever be parents. But they were loving guardians, and Peter knew that is what he wanted right now.

All was _definitely_ well.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Supported housing depends on the local authority but in general in this context it means housing where residents have some sort of access to mental health personnel who can help with functioning in everyday life (like emotional support to making sure you can cook).
> 
> This finishes the story! I hope you like. Overall this story plot-wise isn't a lot different from the version on fanfiction.net but I corrected mistakes and expanded on certain sections. I hope you liked, especially if you're reading for the first time! Feedback is always loved and appreciated, and have a great day!

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted from fanfiction.net, but edited slightly.
> 
> I'll upload each chapter once they've been edited.
> 
> I found researching the foster care process difficult, but it often depends on the situation anyway.


End file.
